MY ACCOUNT
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed two-goal hero Mohamed Salah and “unplayable” Sadio Mane after the Reds routed crosstown rivals Everton 4-1 in the derby.
Salah bagged a brace as Liverpool crushed Everton in the Premier League to earn Merseyside bragging rights at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Jordan Henderson and Salah struck inside the opening 20 minutes and while Demarai Gray pulled a goal back for Everton prior to half-time, Liverpool were in complete control thanks to Salah’s second and Diogo Jota.
Salah has scored 13 Premier League goals this season, nine of which have come away from home – it is more than double the number of any other player so far, while the Egyptian star is the first Liverpool player to register a goal or assist in seven consecutive away appearances in the competition.
Liverpool’s Salah has been directly involved in at least one goal in each of his last 12 Premier League appearances (13 goals, seven assists), the third player to achieve that feat after Stan Collymore (12, March – August 1995) and Jamie Vardy (15, August – December 2015).
Salah, meanwhile, became the first Liverpool player to score twice away at Everton in the derby since Fernando Torres in September 2008.
Klopp praised Salah, Mane and Jota afterwards as third-placed Liverpool stayed within two points of leaders Chelsea.
“Not only him, but of course him as well,” Klopp told reporters when asked about Salah. “Scoring these two goals, the first one was a pass from Hendo [Jordan Henderson] and the next one… he put [Seamus] Coleman under pressure.
“We saw a similar situation in the Chelsea – [Manchester] United game; even Jorginho, one of the best in the world, under pressure and a high ball is really tricky. He went and put that away, absolutely great.
“Diogo’s [Jota] goal, outstanding. The performance of all of the boys was absolutely outstanding. I thought Sadio [Mane] was in moments unplayable as well, so it was just a good performance.”
Liverpool scored four goals in an away league match against Everton for the first time since a 5-0 win in November 1982 under Bob Paisley.
Klopp’s Liverpool have scored at least twice in each of their last 18 games in all competitions, the new longest record in history by an English top-flight side.
Liverpool captain Henderson, meanwhile, became the first Liverpool player to score and assist at Goodison Park in the same Premier League game since Steven Gerrard in December 2005.
“Hendo was good, but with his skillset you should be good,” added Klopp. “When you can train, when you can play, when you get rhythm and then you have the quality of Hendo, then you will play good football games.
“Tonight, I think it was for him as well the best performance at Goodison. Obviously since I’m at Liverpool we had to learn these kind of games. We had to learn to play at Old Trafford, we had to learn to play at Goodison, and tonight we showed that we made a big step in our development and that’s really good.
“It doesn’t mean anything for the future but it shows us that this is now our benchmark, that’s what we have to reach now in each game when we play these kind of teams, because emotions are important in football. We are a very emotional football team but, first and foremost, you need the right mood and mindset. Yes, emotion [is] good but not the only important thing.”
